Thread: anything wrong with drainage?

it is a dry crawl space. but the drive way, side walk are terrible as photos. Also, owner found a crack on foundation wall. I am new. Can any one help? thank a lot.

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Does the concrete next to the house slope away to provide proper drainage? If not, it's wrong.

The crack in the wall does not look like much of a big deal from what I can see.

I might say'

"There has been some settlement and movement of concrete walks around the foundation. This was probably caused by poor compaction of the underlying soil as well as drainage problems. Additional movement of the concrete could cause trip hazards for persons. Poor drainage can lead to foundation and structural problems. Have a contractor fix the cracking and settling walks and have them ensure proper drainage around the foundation".

I agree with John's post on the overall pictures. BTW, you really need to load better pics. The cracks and gaps appear age typical.
Pic #1 though is an issue. Is that white pipe a PVC downspout? If it is then, I will "assume" and would report to the client that there is probably a downspout/drain tile connection break. Since you are in Canada I will guess that accumulated water froze and expanded at that connection and caused the big crack coming out from the DS. One of the important factors to inform the client about is that 'if this is the condition', this could lead to water intrusion into the basement and the sidewalk will get worse.
The last pic is of the crawlspace it seems. But what are you trying to show. Is that drywall covering up the sill plate area so no one will see water seepage?

Hi, Thank you John & Markus

Sorry, I do not have better picture. The house was 1985. the crack was just found by the owner on foundation wall. The white pipe is electricity service lateral. Yes the crawlspace is very dry. The last picture shows the insulation panel mounted on the crawlspace wall. All the neighbors got watering crawlspace & mud jacked drive way. The grade slope is fine. What I guess is the drain tile is still working but weak, which cause the soil erosion or foundation movement in some spots but water has intrude the crawl space yet. Also as John sail the compact. I suggest owner to consult the grade & drain contractor.

By the way, what is DS ( drain system)

Sorry for the slang, DS = downspout. Just habit that I use when I make notes. W=windows, W&C=walls and ceilings, BA=basement, etc. Cuts down on actual writing when I'm taking notes on an insp

Slabs against the house typically settle towards the house due to the lack of soil compaction along the foundation wall(fill). As the soil settles, the concrete follows.

Originally Posted by Brandon Whitmore

Slabs against the house typically settle towards the house due to the lack of soil compaction along the foundation wall(fill). As the soil settles, the concrete follows.

Brandon,

You mean you know of areas where they do not properly compact the back fill as required? Come on now, really?

Now, I am not there, but by the look of the pictures I would say that there is water collecting on the walkways and draining towards the foundation.

Since the grass looks higher than the concrete you have a swimming pool. Where else can the water go except towards the foundation? Yes, when backfilling nobody compacts, but they also rarely pour concrete immediatly afterwards. Usually there is at least some time for the fill to compact... somewhat. I'm sure that water had a role in the erosion of that area.

If the crawlspace is dry, perhaps the water is running below the slab. Were ther any cracks in the slab? Perhaps there is some type of curtain drainage.Is the picture with your hand in it a perimeter drain? Was that dry?

The water is going somewhere and I don't think it is draining away from the house.

For your own head, if the site is not too far away, pass there during a heavy rain and see what it is doing.